Grooving machine



Oct. 21, 195 E. E. BARKSTROM GROOVING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 23, 1950 Oct. 21, 19 E. E. BARKSTROM GROOVING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 23, 1950 Oct. 21, 1952 E. E. BARKSTROM GROOVING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 25, 1950 Oct. 21, 1952 E. E. BARKSTROM 2,614,463

GROOVING MACHINE y Filed March 23, 1-950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 21, 1952 i 3,.;o;: i

r --2,s14,,46 W- RQ V N 'MA H N 'AppIicatiOn lViarchBB, 195

invention, a; carriage having a holder for su portingan article thereon is movedthrough a straight path to guide the articles between a pair of rotatable cutters supported on pivoted arms which are actuated by cams on the carriage .slciiimls; win-11a" 1 :Fig." at, a fragmentary ior moving the cutters horizontally transversely of the movement of the carriage and actuated by other cam means for verticalmovementintimed relation to the movement: of the carriageto cause the cutters to follow successive portions of the irregular mold flash and cutgrooves in the-ah ti'cle on the center line of the flash; The out ters are also .cam actuated for oscillatable move-- ment about vertical axes in timed relatio'n -to the movement of the carriage 'to'position' the cutters substantially perpendicular to the-sur face of the portion of the article being cut.

Other objects and advantages of the inVention willflbecome' apparent by reference to thei'ollowingldetailed description and theacconieach'ofthelines offlash. JIhepresent'machine25' (Fig; .1) for simulpanying drawings illustrating a preferred em 6 bodimentzthereon" inwhich. e

Figure 1'-'is a frontelevationalviw of "the machine showing the carriage with the article thereon ,in fulllines atthe end of its movement in one direction, and'indicating in dotted-lines the positionof the carriage at the 'end 'off-its movement in the opposite. direction;

Fig; 2ais a vertical transverse sectional "view taken substantially along line 2-'-2 of: Fig; 1

in intermediate position;- I

and showing themachine with the partshthereof;

. 3 isa plan; sectional view ofa portionofi the machine taken substantially along .the, line: 3+3 of Fig. 1 and showingthe parts in :an inter; mediate position; 4

Fig; 4 is a detailed view,-

- perspective of s'everal partsiniseparatedyrelation to eachmther; Fig.- 5 is afragmentary plan elevational sec? tioiial view of a portion of, the machine -indi-- mechanismgenejrally' indicated 44 pivotally takenxori" the line- 66 .of Fig.2.;

7 is; a: side elevationalaview of a portionof themachine showing-the article holder withthe article clampedrinposition'therein;

.-,Fig.:81is a, diagram of the control circuit for the drivingtmotory 'Figs,19 and 10 are plan side elevational views, respectively, of a telephone hand'sethandle and. -1;

- ..Fig..11is'a crosseseotionalview of the handle taken-on.the-linell':| of-Fig. 9. a

:rArticles molded. from: plastic material in an injection-'moldingv apparatusi'usually have mold flashes or Jfins :formed at the line of: juncture of the componentiiparts of the molding dies.

In the gmolded: telephone handset handle 29 flashesz22 are' formed on opposite sides of the handle and. extend through irregular curved path's,=,glongitudinally, xvertically and laterally, relative'to .ithe=;,hand1e.: In; order to give the molded handle -:a= jfinished appearance, the flash isremoved and-aigroove of'uniform depth and I widthlis cut zin fthe handle "along vthe base' of taneously' removing the 'pairof fins 22 from the article 20. is; provided with a holder 26 for supporting the article 20 on acarriage or movable I slide. 28 operable tovmove the handle between a pair of conical; shapedend milling cutters 3fl-3 [i (Fig. 2) mounted-ion power "actuated spindles32' on opposite sides'of the holder 26. The holder comprises a seat or supporting member 34 (Figs, 2 and 17 having{surfacesiadaptedto engage the innerlowerzsurface of the articl'e'20 as indicated in Fig: 7., and beingsecured to the upper portion of a .wa1li35 extending upwardly from a; hori+ zontal baseportion -36 o'f 'the carriage zi; Cylindrical members i3838 secured to the vertical walla 35'.areadaptedtoiengage in the recesses in the. end portions of the article 20 to position the articlein the holder 25.- The article 20 is secur'ely clamp'edinthe' holder during the-groove I cutting' operation by clampin'g' means comprising a l'ever. :40 having ap'ad'Mengageable with the article. The lever w i's pivotally'conn'ected atone end toa post 42 onth'e carriage 28*and has its o'the'r end -releasably secured in clamping position against a stop member 43 by a latching mounted on the member 43.

The" carriage 2B 7 is mounted for rectilinear movement and is provided with" a dove-tailed slot 50' (Fig, 2) for receiving a dove-tailed rail plan sectional view I31 carried by a push bar 136 mounted forgre ciprocatorymovement in aguideaperture I40 in the bracket 16. The push bar I38 is provided with a cam roller I42 which rides ina cam groove I43 of a barrel cam I44 mounted on the. cam shaft 15. The cam groove I43.is.formed with an inter mediate dwell portion l45 and sloping'portions rotatein one direction and impart movementto the carriage 28in one direction, and thatsthe The .reversible motor- 18!) which s drives in opposite directions to oscillate the camshaft and 'the" earns 14, I2I and I44: thereon through two sets of normally open contacts I46 and I 41. The'sets'of contacts I45 and I41 are alternately closed under control of actuating solenoidsI-48 and I49, which are selectively energized to determine the direction of rotation of the motor. One end of each of the control coils of solenoids I48 and I49 is connected to one endofa secondary I50 of a transformer, the primary I49 of which is connected to the power line I45, and the other end of the .coil I48 is connected to one of a pair of lower contacts I52I52 of a'control switch .154. The other one of the pair of contacts I52 is connectedto one of a pair of upper contacts I55 'I 55 ofacontrol switch I58, and the other one of contacts' I56 is connected through a microswitch I60 and a'manually operatedstop switch I62 to the other end of the secondary coil I50 of the transformer. V a

- The otherend of the coil I49-is connected to one of a pair of lower contacts I64 of the control switchl 58, and the other contact I64 is connected to one of the pair of upper contacts I68-of the switch I54, the 'other'of the contacts I68 bein connected through amicroswitch I10 and the stop switch I62 to the primary of the transformer I50. The control switch I54 is provided with a push button element I12 which is stressed to a normal upper position and has a bridging element for normally. bridging the contacts I68, and is adapted to be manually depressed into engagementwith the contacts I52 to bridge the contacts I 52 and open the circuit across the contacts I68. A pair of normally opened-contacts I14 are connected acrossthe contacts l52and are actuated to "closedposition-bythe solenoid coil I48 in response to the energization 'thereof, and forms a holdingcircuit across the contacts I52I52 after thecircuit has been closed momentarily'by the actuation 'ofthe push button element I16. The

contact switch I 58' is likewise provided- "with a operable to disconnect the elements I56 and bridge the elements I64, and is also'provided with a pair of normally opened contactsI18 connected across the :contactsl64 and actuable to closed position by the solenoid coil I49 in response tothe energization thereofto form a holding circuitacross the contacts I64.

actuation of the push button element I12 of the control switch I54, a circuit may be completedto .cause .the energizationof the coil I48 and the ClOSiIlglOflth contactsllz46 .to cause the motor to I 70 It will thus be seen; that in response to the control circuit includes, the microswitch I60 which may be actuated to open position to causefthe openingof the contacts I46 to stop the operation of. the motor 'and the movement of the carriage. In like manner, in response tothe actuation of the push button element I16 ofthe control switch I58, aoircuit. may. be closed to energize the solenoid coil M9: to cause theclosing of the contacts I41-andtherotationof the motor in the reverse direction-to aifect the reverse movement ofthe carriage 28; and that the control circuitinclude's the'microswitch I10 which may be actuated to open position to cause the opening of the contacts I41 and to disconnect the motor 80 from-the power line and stop the movement of the carriage 28'. The microswitches I60; and I10 are adapted to be actuated alternately by a trip member I62- (Figs'. 1, 2,-3 and 8) at the end of movement in opposite direction s of thecarriage 26. The-trip member I82 which is mounted on the lower end of one of the shafts (Figs. 1 and 3) is movable vertically and oscillatable angularly with the shaft, and is engag'eable alternately with the microswitches I60 and I10 mounted in th path of movement of the trip member I82 on a plate I84 fixed'to the outer end of the bracket 93, j v

In-the operation of the device, the carriage 28 initially may be in its left hand position as indicated'in full lines in Fig. l, or it may; be in its'righthand position as indicated in dotted lines in the'same figure. At the end of each cycle of o'peration, the cutters 30 are positioned below one end of the fiashfln 22 on the telephone handset handle 20 and provide clearance for the reception of an uncut or unfinished handle member 20 after the finished handle 20 has "-been removed-from the holder. With an uncut handle 20 clamped in position in the holder 26 on the carriage, the push button element I12 of the control switch I54 may then be actuated' to cause themotor 60-to rotate in one direction, and impart rotation in the same "direction atthe cam shaft 15 and the cams 14, I44 and 'I2I thereon. The cam 14- connected; to'the carriage 28 will impart movement there to in a righthand directionat a uniform rate. The cam I2I- through its associatedlinkagewill impart vertical movement to the cutters 30 in timed relation with the movement of the carriage to align the cutters horizontally'with successive portions of the line of the flash on the handle 20 being engaged by the cutters 30, and the cam I44 will cause the cutters to be oscillated through a predetermined angle and sequencein timed relation to the movement of the"car riage 28 to maintain the cutters substantially perpendicular to the surface of the portion of the handle 20 engaged by the cutters. As the carriage 28 and the article 20" are advanced; the cam members -99 on the carriage '28 in cooperation with the cam'followers 91 and thesprings 96' connected to the pivoted carriers 86 ,serveto move the cutters 30 toward and away from each other in a horizontal direction to properly position theends thereof in en'- gagement with successive portions of-the fins 22 of the handle20; Thus, the cam members: I44; I2I and 99 cooperate to impart movement in diverse directions to the cutters 30 in a pre determined sequence in timed relation to the movement therebetween of thearticle 30, 're-. sulting in the... cutters following the successive portionsof linesof; flash onthe handle-Hand;

thefitripchamber-1 82 (Fig. a, w n

aerator width" m1 depth. Diil lll g a eycleof we soon 11 at the beginning of the-"cycled operation gagment with the ndi inallyiclosed fiiifir'os'witch l'ld's and holds it 'ini'open fl'pb'sition, is moved upwards; the switch 110 roscillated -'angularly and then moved downwardly, am the carria'ge '28 arrives at the end of "its movement, the trip member -f8-2n'eng agesand actuates the normally closed microswitch "I60 t0 Sits 'o'pe'n position to-sdisconnect the motor '80 and stop the operation of th'eapparatus. On completion of this cycle o'f operation, the carriage-28 will be disposed. in :it's righthand position and :the article {in with the grooves out therein along the =fiasl1 lines, may then b'e removed t-fr'om the holder and an unfinished or. uncutwarticle 2 0 may-be ;-loaded on the -machine ahd clamped in position in the-holder, and another cycle'of operation may be initiated by actuating the push buttonpelement 416 of the control switch I58. The following cycle of operation ;is the same as the preceding one, except that it is performed with the parts -movin-gin -the-opposite direction, and on its complet ion the carriage 8' is'disposed in its lefthand,position asindicated in fun lines Fig. i1, and the other one ==of thepa'ir of microswitches [60 and l 18 r is actuatjedby the trip-[82. I U v7 i 'It to'be understood that theabove desorihed arrangements "are simply illustrative or -the asp cation or the -principles or thednvention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised bythose skilled in -the art .which will embody 'tlie 'principles of the invention and-fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

"1. Anapparatusi orgrooving handst' handles coin-prising a holder 'ffor sup'po'rting handle, means-for recipro'cati'ng sa'id holdenthroug-h a rectilinear path, 'a pair of rotatable cutters disposedon opposite sides of a handle in said holder, drive means for rotating-saidcutters, a 'pair'of eleme nts}mounted belowsaid holder for oscillation about vertical axes and ior vertical movement, a pair of braclgets pivotaliy connected to said members for o'scillatable and vertical movements with said elements and for pivotal movement about'horizontal anes to support said cutters for movementto-wardand away from each other, spring means stressing ms brackets and said cutters toward each other, cam followers on said brackets, cams on saidyholder engageable with said iollowers for moving said cutters away from --each other, -means connecting said --e1ements ;for simultaneous rotary movement in opposite di rections,- means for raising and lowering said elements in timed relation-t0the-movement of said holder, and means for oscillating said elements through a predetermined angle iii-timed relation to the movement of saidholder.

2. An apparatus for grooving handset'handles comprising a holder for supporting said handle, means for-reciprocating said holder through "a rectilinear path, a pair of rotatable cuttersdis posed on opposite sides of a handle i'n S'aidi holden-drive means forrotatingsaid cutters, a pair of elements mounted -below --saidholder for-oscillation about vertical axes-and for vertical movement, a: pair -of;-brackets pivotally connected "to said members for 'oscilla-table and vertical movements with said elements iandifor pivotalmovement :about'hofizontal'" axes to-sup:

port said natter s io-r movement toward and away from each other, "spring means is'tressing "said brackets and said cutters toward each other, cam :foilowers on :said bra'ckeis, cams on *s'aid iholders eng'aigeable with said followers for mming said cutters away 'l rom each other, nieansconnecting saidielement's fortsimultaneous rotary movement in opposite directions,

means tor raising :and lowering :said elements in timed relationtothe movement o'f said holder, a :reversible motor 'for driving the holder :and raising and lowering means, and "switch actuating means on one of said :elementsoperable to prepare said motor -'to reverse. V 7

"3'. 'Anapparatus for groovingliandsetliandles comprising a holder for supporting is'aidvhandle, means for reciprocating said holder through a rectilinear .:path, 'aepair "i of rotatable cutters disposed 'on opposite sideaof'a handle in zsaid holder, drive means ior -rotating said 'l'c'iitters, ea. zpair 10f elements mounted blow :s'aid holder formsoillation about "vertical axes and fo'r vertical movemerit, .a rapair of i brackets ipivo'tally connected to said members for bscillatable'and vertical movemerits with said elements and for.:.pi'vota11'movement about horizontal -axestosupportsaid cutters for; movement toward and-awayifrom each "other, spring-means stressing said brackets :andisaid cutters toward each "other, .cam Lfolicwers on said brackets, cams on said hol'ders ":en'g'ageable with saidfollowers ior moving saidacutte'rs away-from each other, means connecting said elements for simultaneous rotary movement-.in'oppositedirections,- 'm'eans for ra-ising' and lowering said 2918'- ments in timed relation to the movement of: said holderfa reversible motor Ifor driving thelholder and raising and lowering -means, m-anually operable switches'for "supplying driving ower to said motor in each direction, and switch actuating means on one of said elements to alternately render sa-id manually operable switches'efiective. 4. -A---machine for removing the mold 'fiash' on molded articles and cutting grooves :t-hereincomprising, a holder for supporting 'said article, guide means for supportingrsaidholder andguiding': it and the article it for movement through a straight path, :a pair of rota-tablercutters disposed on opposite sides of I the .1 path or movement :of said article engageable with said article i for 116'- moving the 1 fins thereon and cutting egroove's therein, a- .pair :of supportingelementsamounted for oscillation-about vertical axes. in substantial alignment with the endsof-sa-id cuttersand for vertical -movement 'along -sa-id axes, supporting means operatively connected -to, said supporting elements for supporting said cutters. forvertical and ---oscilia-tory movement with :said 'supporting elements and for radial movement relativethereto, i means for moving said holder along said straight I path, -means stressing said supporting means for radialmovementin-"one direction cam means onsaid holder engageablewithsaid supporting-means for vmoving saidsupporting means radially in theopposite direction, means operable intimed relation to-the movement of said holder for raising' and lowering said supporting: elements. and means operable in timed (relation I to the movement .of said holder forrocillati'ng 'sai'd' supporting-- elements about their-axes tliroughapredetermined arc and in a predeterminedssequence to posi-tion said cutters substantially: perpendicular to the-surfaces of theportions of the'zarticleengaged by the cutters.

- 5. A'machine for"removing'the mold fins on-a molded"article and-. cuttingzg'rooves therein comof said article and engageable with the article to remove the fins therefrom and cut grooves therein, means for rotating said cutters, a pair ofelements mounted for oscillation about vertical axes and in substantial alignment with the ends of said cutters and for vertical movement along said axes, supporting arms movably connected to said elements for supporting said cutters for movement transversely of the movement of said article and in planespassing through the axes ofv said elements, spring means urging said arms formovement in one direction, cam means on said holder for moving said arms in the opposite direction, a first cam means operatively connected to said holder for advancing said holder a predetermined distance in said straight path, a second cam means operatively connected to said elements for raising and lowering said elements and the cutters connected therewith, a third cam means operatively connected to said elements for oscillating said cutters in opposite directions through a predetermined angular movement in timed relation with the movement of said holder, and drive means for actuating said cam.

6; A machine for removing the mold flash on molded articles and cutting grooves therein comprising, a holder for holding a molded article therein, frame means for supporting and guiding said holder for movement in a straight path, a pair of end milling cutters disposed on opposite sides of a path of movement of said article and engageable with said article for cutting away the mold flash thereon and forming grooves therein, means for moving said holder and said article therein a predetermined distance along said straight path, a pair of supporting elements mounted in said frame means below said holders for oscillatable movement about vertical axes in substantial alignment with the ends of said cutters and for vertical movement, an arm on each of said supporting elements pivotally mounted thereon for supporting said cutters for vertical and oscillatable movement with said elements and for rocking movement toward and away from each other and in planes through the axes of said elements, cams on said holder operable to move said cutters away from each other, means urging said cutters for movement toward each other, means for raising and lowering said supporting elements in timed relation to'the movement of said holder, and means for oscillating said elements in opposite directions through a predetermined angle in timed relation to the movement of said holder.

'7. A machine for removing a mold flash on molded articles and cutting a groove therein comprising, a holder for holding said molded article, frame means for supporting and guiding said holder for movement through a straight path, an end milling cutter disposed adjacent the path of movement of said article and adapted to engage said article and cut a groove therein along the line of the mold flash, a supporting element mounted in said frame means below said cutter for oscillatable movement about a vertical axis'in substantial alignment with the end of saidcutter andfor vertical movement along said axis, an arm pivotally connected to said supportand for rocking movement toward and away from said article in planes passing through said axis, resilient means stressing said arm for movement in one direction to move the cutter toward said article, cam means on said holder for rocking saidarm inthe other direction, means for advancing said holder a predetermined distance throughsaid straight path of movement alternately in opposite directions whereby articles maybe moved in opposite directions and grooves 'cut therein during the movement thereof in said opposite directions, means for raising and lowering said supporting element in timed relation to the movement of said holder, and means for oscillating said supporting element through a predetermined angle in timed relation to the movement of said holder.

8. A'machine for removing the mold flash on molded articles and cutting grooves therein comprising, a holder for supporting an article therein, frame means for supporting and guid ing-said holder for rectilinear movement, a pair of end milling cutters disposed on opposite sides of said holder and engageable with said article for cutting grooves therein, means for rotating said cutters, a pair of supporting elements mounted in said frame means for oscillatable movement about vertical axes in substantial alignment with the ends of said cutters and for vertical movement, a supporting arm on each of said supporting elements pivotally connected thereto for supporting said cutters for oscillatable and vertical movement with said elements and for pivotal movement toward and away from each other in planes passing through said axes, spring means urging said arms in one direction for moving said cutters toward the article, cam followers on said arms, cam members on said holders engageable with said cam followers operable in cooperation with said spring means to move said cutters toward and away from'said article in timed relation to the movement of said holder, a cam shaft supported on said frame means, a first cam on said cam shaft, means operatively connecting said first cam with said holder and operable to reciprocate said holderv in response to actuation of said cam, a second cam on said cam shaft, means operatively connected to. said pair of supporting elements and cooperating with said second cam for raising and lowering said elements, a pair of gears on said elements in meshing relation to each other for imparting equal and reverse oscillation to said elements and the cutters connected therewith, a third cam on said cam shaft, means operatively connected to one of said shafts and actuated by said third cam for oscillating said elements, a motor operatively connected to said cam shaft for actuating said shaft, circuit control means including a pair of stop switchesfor controlling the operation of said motor, and trip means operable in timed relation with the reciprocation of said holder to actuate alternate ones of said switches at the end of movements in opposite directions of said holder.

9. A machine for removing a mold flash on molded articles and cutting grooves therein' comprising, a carriage having a holder thereon for. holding a molded article, frame means for guiding said carriage and the article thereon for movement through a straight path, a pair of end milling cutters disposed on opposite sides of thefpath of movement of said article and engageable with said article for cutting grooves therein, means for rotating said cutters, a pair 11* of elements: mounted. in. said frame means below said cutters for oscillation about vertical axes in substantial alignment. with the-ends of said. cutters and for vertical movement along said axes, an armon eachof said elements pivotally connected thereto for. supporting said outters for rocking movement toward andaway: from each other in planes through: said axes, spring means for rocking said arms in one direction, cams on said carriage for rocking said arms in the opposite direction, means connecting said elements for simultaneous oscillating movement in oppositedirections, a first cam actuated means for reciprocating said carriage through said straight path, a second. cam actuated means for vertically reciprocating. said elements, a

REFERENCES CITED.

' Thev following; referencesare of. record, in the file of: this patent;

v I STATES PATENTS Number.

Name Date BFZOJIQL Harrison. Oct. 27,, 18.96 1,378,865. Hibbard l May 274, 1921. 139015.09. "Wiley Feb. 12, 1935 2,151,078 Bouvier et. a1 Mar. 21, 1939 

